With LeBron out of Miami, who are the new Big 3?

Right off the bat, throw out this group's plus-7.4 over 1,209 minutes last year. That's a heck of a figure, but it suffered from the injury that yo-yo'd Westbrook in and out of the lineup. The overall ineptitude of OKC's supporting players didn't help either.

This three-man unit has already proven its playoff mettle, driving Oklahoma City to the Finals three years ago. It's loaded with star power, elite athleticism, space-creating shooters and an MVP.

More than anything, it just feels like the Thunder are ready. They're at a point in their organizational development where the training wheels have long since been removed, the hunger brought about by disappointment is growing and the combination of talent and experience are perfectly balanced.

"With the Thunder, we all have the mindset that we want to get better and keep growing, but we also know that we want to win championships. We know we have to continue to keep working and we're putting in that work to be the best.

I like what we got. Russell [Westbrook], myself and Serge [Ibaka]—I like our core. We added some young guys and added some vets. I like what we got."

It's hard to argue with that.

Durant snatched LeBron's MVP trophy last year, and now that James' exit from Miami has removed the league's former top trio, it's time for KD to usurp another of LBJ's thrones.